If you want to work for a well known corporate employer, now is the time to research, plan ahead and apply. Some summer internship schemes are already opening applications for summer 2013.

With the start of the new academic year it is easy to forget to plan ahead for summer 2013. It may seem far off but NOW is the time that the big graduate employers advertise not only for graduates, but also for their summer internship schemes for 2013. If you want to work for a particular company or type of work, now is the time you should research their summer internship schemes and when they’re open for you to apply. Planning to get your application in early will avoid disappointment at a later stage when some companies may have filled their places before the closing date.

Accountancy, finance, banking, management consulting, IT and legal roles are being advertised now including on the CareersLink university website and also Milkround.com. Top graduate employers advertising include: Barclays (ratemyplacement.co.uk No.1 voted company for internships 2011), Morgan Stanley, KPMG, LEK Consulting, Saffery Champness and Standard Life.

There are still some short term vacancies for over the summer, so if you don’t yet have any work experience sorted yet, then check out what is still available and apply before it is too late! Work experience of even a few weeks can give you an opportunity to develop your skills for both continuing your degree studies and preparing you for a job after your course.

Some companies offer up to four week placements or even part time work, which in some cases is longer term and could fit around your studies. Look through a variety of sources including local newspapers, job websites, through your own contacts or contacting employers direct, as well as firstly checking vacancies on the University’s CareersLink website.

One example of a current summer internship for undergraduates is:

Journalist Student Internship with the Red Army on CareersLink, Ref: 14089.

There are 10 part time Journalist positions available. This role needs interns who are inquisitive, excellent at writing for magazines and the web, relating with all kinds of different people, as well as having a cool head under pressure and absorbing information quickly. As the Red Army is a publication for Manchester United, it is important for this role to have an interest in the football club and football in general.

The word ‘internship’ is used for a variety of work experience, placements and summer jobs.

Originally this was an American term used to describe a period of professional experience, which is possibly career related. Nowadays it can also be used to describe a variety of professional work opportunities. You could also find a number of other words used in job adverts describing ‘professional work experience’. This can include:

Placements

Placement Year

Work experience

Undergraduate/ Graduate opportunity

Vacation work

Trainee

Look beyond the job title and company name to find out the real value of the opportunity on offer. Always check out the vacancy details to get a better impression of the role. Do you have the skills they want? Does it give you work experience that develops your skills and knowledge for your degree or future career? Do you want to apply to the role?

So what are the benefits of doing an internship or some professional work experience?

Gives you an insight into a professional role, type of career or work environment/culture

Opportunities to acquire new skills and knowledge in a specific area of interest

Develop further the skills gained from your degree

Develop skills and experience like team working, taking initiative, good communication, organisation, working to deadlines, leadership, negotiation, attention to detail and the list can go on…all of which are called transferable skills and highly sought after by employers

Possible contacts and referees for when you are applying for future jobs

For more information and links to useful websites including Prospects and TARGETjobs see the work experience page on the Careers Service website.

For more information on the range of jobs for work experience over the summer including internships log on to CareersLink

Any kind of work- whether full- time, part-time, voluntary, vacation, casual or unpaid can count as work experience, boost your CV and help you land a dream job, even if it is completely unrelated to your future career.

You may be wondering what to do over the summer as well as catching up with family and friends, or working on some assignments for the new term. You may have already thought that you want to get a job to save up some money for next year at Uni, pay your rent over the summer or get some useful work experience to help you in your degree or with what you want to do after Uni?

One of the options worth looking into is applying for an internship. You can build up different skills and experience in a work environment, learn about a specific role or industry and with many of the internships advertised, get paid in the process, but always check what’s on offer!

The Careers Service has summer internships open to undergraduates with a number of different internships being advertised online as vacancies through Careerslink. Each internship needs a different set of skills depending on the role. Some are part time, some full time and they can vary in length from 2 -12 weeks.

You probably already know how important work experience can be to your future career. You gain experience, confidence, skills, networks and much more. To help you make the most of this summer, the University is piloting a new Summer Internship Programme. The internship programme has two key features:

Internships that the Careers Service will work with employers to generate and promote

A bursaries programme to support students who want to do an internship

Bursaries will be available to help students access either internships generated by the Careers Service, or internships that they generate themselves. For example, if you have already secured an offer for work experience this summer, you may be worried about how to afford it; perhaps the job is either low paid, or even unpaid, or based somewhere where accommodation or travel costs are expensive. We will be offering a number of bursaries (worth between £50 – £800) to help students undertake work experience this summer, because we know how vitally important it is for your career. The bursaries can be applied towards full-time or part-time work, in any sector, and will be awarded through a competitive process.

You will need to apply and give us information on the internship you are planning to undertake, how it may benefit your career and why you feel you should be awarded a bursary.

Full details about the internship programme and how to apply for a bursary will be published in May. Think you might be interested? Then please register your interest today.

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